My Wines

My Cellar

The Big House wines were born of the subversive notion that the California climate is more hospitable to the rollicking, sun loving grapes of Mediterranean France, Italy and Spain than some other varieties that should probably remain nameless (eg: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and merlot). In the big house we have gone back to our roots, blending these distinct varieties to create a far more ... Read more

The Big House wines were born of the subversive notion that the California climate is more hospitable to the rollicking, sun loving grapes of Mediterranean France, Italy and Spain than some other varieties that should probably remain nameless (eg: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and merlot). In the big house we have gone back to our roots, blending these distinct varieties to create a far more complex wine that elegantly matches a wide variety of cuisine, from pizza, to BBQ ribs and roast chicken.
Why Is It Called Big House?
Our Soledad Winery in Monterey County, is a mere ankle iron’s toss from the Soledad State Correctional Facility, aka The Clink, The Slammer, The Hoosegow, The Cooler. Our vineyard portrayed next to The Pokey in a visually benevolent milieu likely not familiar to the “residents” of the Big House, yields a most compelling wine.
The Big House actually resides on an oenophilic temporal door between California and the Mediterranean. Our winemaking philosophy is driven by several very salient themes, that include:
1) Having as much fun as possible in the enterprise of winemaking as the government agencies will allow;
2) producing wine and wine labels that will inspire and move people;
3) retaining as much of the natural qualities of the grapes as possible, and making wines that are friendly both to foods and the people that consume them;
4) Always giving priority to lesser known varietals in the hopes of uprooting the homogeneous mass that is currently controlling out palate and our wallet. Read less